Project Breakdown: Makeshift+*

Makeshift started out as one song, then turned into a whole project. 

It was something that came up randomly but I went with the idea and ran with it. I wanted this project to be somewhat different than the others I've done so far so this project is pretty important to me.

The monologues for this album was a last minute thing. During my process of making the project I decided that little monologues at the beginning of each track establishes a story that I wanted to portray and everyone did a great job at telling that story. Instead of telling you what I think they mean, I'll let you all decide. 

I knew I wanted this project to be primarily acoustic with hints of ambiance and I struggled with combining the two in the beginning but I ended up finding this album on Bandcamp (Home by From Overseas: https://pitp.bandcamp.com/album/home) that was exactly what I wanted Makeshift to sound like, a perfect mixture of acoustic elements combined with ambient soundscapes.

After listening to the entire Home album, I felt inspired and made Makeshift.

In Depth:

Seasons:

Seasons. The first track.

The beginning of your journey through the seasons. 

This track is the intro to the album and was used to establish a proper soundscape for the rest of the album. Each song is supposed to flow together and be as telling as possible. 

Autumn:

Autumn. The second track.

Leaves falling, chilly weather, and the start of new beginnings.

I perceive Autumn to be the start of something new, whatever that thing is.

School, Work, Career, anything.

The track starts out as a simple guitar riff that plays throughout the entire song. In the middle of the track, you hear ambient chords coming in and making its way into the track.  

Winter:

Winter. The third track.

Cold, windy weather, Families, and hardships.

Winter to me, is the most intimate season. A time where family, friends, and significant others all get together, a time where many hardships come about and a time to think about the future. 

This track is primarily all ambient but the base melody that's actually used as more of a background melody is an acoustic guitar riff which you can hear more clearly at the end of the track. I wanted this track to feel somewhat stagnant and simple, like how winter feels for some people. 

Spring:

Spring. The fourth track.

Blooming flowers, rainy weather, and a time for reflection.

Spring is the essence of change, I think. Spring symbolizes a change of heart, character and morals. It's a time of forgiveness and a time of reminisce.

This is the most acoustic heavy track on the album and one of my favorites. The happy guitar melody makes me feel like there's hope in this season.  

Summer:

Summer. The fifth track. 

Hot weather, Nostalgic memories, and a time for growth.

Summer is a time to relax and think about your growth throughout the given year. A time where school is just getting out and a time for vacation and relaxation. This season makes you reevaluate the little things you struggled with and gives you time to fix and perfect them to take on your cycled journey. 

This track is also fairly acoustic heavy with not much ambiance. I wanted this track to specifically feel like you were going for a swim. The first half is above water, (acoustic) the second half is underwater, (acoustic + added bell sounds + filter effects) and the last part is above the water again, which to me, symbolizes growth and change. (acoustic)

Everchanging:

Everchanging. The sixth track.

My favorite track of the bunch and the conclusion to the album.

Everchaging was a song I made about a month before the production of this album. It is somewhat my first vocal track as well. You can hear me humming and doing *some* singing near the end. 

To me, this track in the context of the album, symbolizes maturity and growth. It makes me feel like I can take on another cycle of seasons with ease because I've learned from the mistakes I've made in the previous seasons. It brings everything together in a way that makes you feel like you're at home and at peace.